


The Unknown Woman

by blabbey



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Flashbacks, Memory, One Shot, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:53:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blabbey/pseuds/blabbey
Summary: A woman who keeps her face hidden underneath a cloak appears at a small village in the Plegian desert. No one knows her name. No one knows where she came from. The only thing known about her is the child she carries with her: a baby girl named Robin.
Kudos: 5





	The Unknown Woman

Under the night sky of the Plegian deserts winds blew through the barren terrain, the sand flying through the air to get into the eyes of anyone who walked through it. Although they weren’t strong enough to bury anyone they were still enough to be a nuisance to anyone who tried to trek through it. It was through that very storm where a woman, holding a small purple cloth bundle protectively inside of her cloak, walked slowly but steadily; the hood of her Plegian robe low to protect her eyes from getting full of sand.

The woman had lost track of how long she had been walking, but she didn’t care. The only thing she was worried about was finding somewhere as far away from _that_ place as she could. That place that haunted her long before she ever realized it; the place where _he_ still was and most likely noticed her absence by now and would be out hunting for them.

She dared to move her hood up ever so slightly to see if she could hopefully spot a village. Her hope was not in vain as she could see a small settlement not far from where she was. “We’re almost somewhere safe. Don’t worry.” She panted as she continued on her way, her pace quickening in anticipation to reach shelter, ignoring the exhaustion and pain in her legs. When she reached the closed village gates she banged and called out as loudly as she could through the wind. “Hello! Please let me in! I need shelter!”

After a time, the gate opened slightly allowing a middle-aged man to peak his head through, the lantern in his hand allowing him to see her enough through all the sand and darkness. The woman could sense his skepticism at the sight of her cloak, so she thought quickly. “Please let me in. I have a child.” She begged as she moved the bundle from the shielding of her cloak to him and showed the face of a small baby sound asleep.

“Very well, hurry in.” The man opened the gates enough for the woman to rush into the safety of the village walls. She sighed with relief as she shook any sand she had off her cloak and the baby’s bundling. “Never seen anyone like you pass through here before.” The man indicated to the cloak she was wearing. “Any reason you would be walking through a sandstorm like this on foot and with a baby?”

The woman held the infant closer to her breasts protectively. “I’m a… traveler, and this is my daughter.” She explained. “I had to leave where I was immediately so that I could go somewhere for… research. The storm hit us suddenly and I knew from some maps that there was a village nearby where we could take shelter.”

The man nodded, not asking anymore questions to her relief. “Well, I’m the gate keeper here. I give shelter to any travelers, though this would be the first time one had a baby with them so I apologize for the meager lodgings.” The man scratched the top of his head while giving a rueful smile.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” She followed the gate keeper to a small, two story home located next to the gates. The inside was very simple with a small fireplace and kitchen in the corner and a bed.

“I sleep in here to make it easier to hear in case anyone shows up in the middle of the night, like you two.” The man explained as he set his lantern down on a table before looking over at the woman, still wearing her hood over her eyes, her mouth the only thing visible. “There’s an empty room upstairs with a bed big enough for your child to sleep with you. Are you hungry?”

“No.” The woman adjusted her hold on her daughter, who was still fast asleep. The woman listened as the winds from the desert became stronger. “When do you think the sand storm will settle down?”

“Who knows?” The gate keeper shrugged. “Could be tonight, could be tomorrow, could be a week from now.” He noticed the woman’s mouth go into a worried frown. “Don’t worry, it should let up soon. It’s rather light compared to ones in the past. How about you go get some sleep? You look like you could use it.” He smiled reassuringly.

The woman gave a small nod and began heading up the stairs with her baby when she heard the man clear his throat. “My name is Thom by the way. If you don’t mind me asking, what are both of your names?”

She paused before looking down at her child with the hint of a small smile. “This is Robin.” That was all she said before continuing up the stairs to rest.

“Well, that answers the kid’s name, but not yours…” Thom sighed before going to his bed in the corner and falling asleep.

The next morning Thom was standing over his small stove cooking some bacon and eggs. There was a knock at the door, so he hurried over and opened it to show a plump woman about his age holding a basket with two loaves of fresh baked bread in it. “Good morning Thom!” She sang happily.

“Good morning Kara.” Thom nodded and stepped aside to let Kara walk in and leave the basket on the table. “I’m glad you’re here. A traveler came by in the middle of the night, a woman with a baby.”

“Oh?” Kara raised an eyebrow curiously. “What’s her name? Where does she come from? Why is she here? What’s her baby’s name?”

“All I know about her is that she’s traveling with her infant daughter named Robin.” Thom chuckled at the bombardment of questions. “She never told me her own name. She has a hooded cloak that covers her eyes, so I don’t really know what she looks like, but her cloak looks like one of those-”

“Oh. You have a guest.”

A voice spoke up suddenly as the woman touched the bottom step, her cloak on once again with the hood obscuring most of her face and Robin in her arms still wrapped in the purple blanket. “Um, hello.” She nodded a little nervously at Kara before looking in the direction of Thom. “I was hoping to get some supplies and a horse in the village. I should have enough gold to cover expenses.” She patted a satchel hidden underneath her cloak, making it jingle slightly indicating the amount of gold she had. “Do you know where I could find some things- ah! Robin, hold still!” Robin squirmed unhappily in her mother’s arms inside of her bundling and she began to cry. Her mother’s mouth could be seen frowning as she tried desperately to soothe her temperamental infant.

Kara saw the distress the mother was in and smiled softly as she walked over to her with her arms held out. “I could hold her for a bit if you’d like miss, especially if you’re going out shopping.” The cloaked woman looked nervous at relinquishing her child, Thom could see it in the way her shoulders stiffened and gripped tighter to her infant. It seemed like she was scared to release her from her sights.

“Don’t worry, Kara is very trusting. She’s been a caretaker and wet nurse for many of the children in the village here.” He reassured her as he put a hat on his head and pulled on a light jacket. “They could stay here while I show you some of the shops around here. I need to go out anyways.”

At his words, the woman nodded slightly before passing onto Kara her baby that seemed to suddenly calm in her comforting presence. “Thank you…” The woman said softly before following Thom out the door.

“You’re quite welcome dear. Now run along and get your supplies!” Kara beamed and waved before turning her attention to the baby, “Now, let’s get you changed and fed, eh?”

A few hours later the cloaked woman and Thom returned with their arms full of canteens and bags of food. Kara smiled from her spot at the table as they came in; baby Robin on her lap and cooing at the sight of her mother, who smiled as she set the supplies down before picking up her daughter. “Hello Robin.” The mother hummed, taking notice of the small dress she was wearing and frowned in confusion. “How…”

“A friend came by and I asked her to buy some baby clothes for her.” Kara smiled. “I hope you don’t mind, but she wasn’t wearing anything under that blanket save for a diaper! It’s almost like you were in such a rush to leave where ever you came from you had no time for dress her properly! And that mark on her hand, I’ve never seen anything like it before!”

The woman flinched slightly before giving off a shaky laugh, covering her daughter’s right hand with one of her own to hide the six eyed mark that was on it. “Heh, yes, you could say that.” She took a deep breath before returning her baby to Kara. “I’m going to ready the horse. Excuse me please.” Then she hurried out of the house to the brown horse she had bought.

“What was that about?” Kara looked confused. Thom shrugged in equal confusion.

Outside the woman tugged on the straps of the horse’s saddle to keep the supplies in place, her hands shaking slightly at Kara’s words from earlier. She gripped her hands together before taking a shaky breath and bit her lower lip. _Almost… we’re almost away from this place._ She thought, small tears going down her face. _Soon we can leave this accursed country and Robin can truly be free..._

“Well, I guess this is good-bye then, huh miss?” Thom said to the woman as she readied her horse, baby Robin in his arms as he did his best to keep her from grabbing his hat off his head; the infant still wearing the dress Kara gave her as well as a tiny little hooded cloak to protect her face from the searing sun.

“Yes… thank you for your hospitality Thom.” She thanked him, her mouth showing a weak smile. “I’m glad there are decent people like you and Kara out in the world.”

“We are but humble villagers miss, we do what we can for others when we can.” Thom returned her smile as she mounted her horse then handed over Robin, who whimpered slightly at leaving Thom’s big arms. “I hope you plan to pass through this way again someday. Maybe then you’ll tell me your name.”

The woman said nothing as she held Robin in her arms, keeping the horse at bay until Thom opened the village gates to allow them through. With a small kick of her heels the horse ran out of the gates, not slowing down and her not looking back. “May Grima guide your path to safety!” Thom called out to her. At those words tears fell down her face as she tightened her grip on Robin. _Oh gods I hope he doesn’t…_ She cried as she began heading east to Ylisse.

She looked down at her daughter, who returned her stare with a giggle and held her right hand up at her mother’s face, the mark clear as day. The tears still fell down her face as she looked at the mark then kissed her daughter on the forehead, kicking her horse again to speed up so they could reach Ylisse faster. “Robin, I promise I’ll keep you safe. I’ll never let them find you and give you that terrible fate…” The woman began to fade from Robin’s vision as she continued to look at her, the woman’s face becoming darker and her voice sounding distant.

“I promise... I promise…”

Robin woke with a sudden start. She sat up to get a look at where she was: at her study desk within her tent of the Shepherds camp. “What an odd dream…” She exhaled, stretching her arms out to get rid of the soreness she felt in her shoulders and neck from the awkward sleeping position.

She began trying to remember details of her dream, but for some reason she couldn’t recall anything. It wasn’t the first time she had dreams like that, moments she felt were too real to be made up and yet unable to remember whatever their contents may have been. Pinching the bridge of her nose in the hopes of it helping she felt something wet across her cheek. Wiping her eyes Robin realized she had tears streaming down her face, confusing her greatly. “Why was I crying?” She questioned out loud, “I don’t even remember what I was dreaming about…” She sniffled as the tears continued streaming.

Looking over her shoulder Robin could see her cloak laying on her cot where she had tossed it the night prior. Wiping her tears as best as she could, Robin stood up and walked over to it, touching the fabric lightly with her right hand as if it were the first time doing so, ignoring the mark on her hand that seemed to stare into her. This cloak… there was something so familiar about it. Not that it was literally the clothes on her back when she was found; no, there was something more to it than that. _But what?_

The tactician gingerly picked up the cloak and held it in her hands, looking at it for a while before allowing her tears to fall freely as she buried her face into it and sobbed heavily for reasons unknown to even her. All she did while in her tent alone was sob and sniffle, all the while a faint and distant word formed in her mind without her really knowing it: _Mother._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading this! I wrote this a while ago and posted in through other avenues but hadn't posted it here yet! I have more fictions I'm working on both old and new so I hope you get to enjoy what else I throw out! And please, don't be afraid to post any constructive criticism you have!


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